Do shoes and "hard pants" make you more productive at home?

I think we all underestimate the absurd outfits people wear to the "office" now that so much of our time is spent sitting down and only seeing each other from the shoulders up. In fact, whenever I stand up from my computer, I feel shy. Maybe that's just me...

I believe that people should be comfortable while working because the quality of your work performance is far more important than what you're wearing. But just like the nature of the PR industry, you have to be able to adapt that mindset to different scenarios and make deliberate choices about how your represent yourself in various digital settings.

For example...

Working in the tech/startup world, dress codes are loose – the most (in)famous people in the industry wear the same thing every day (yes, I'm referring to you, Zuckerberg). Also, with movements churning to help establish gender-equity in business, it's definitely crossing a line to have different expectations of women than men – e.g., makeup.

So what are the scenarios that make sense to dress up for a virtual meeting? That depends, it's different for everyone. Use your best judgement.

But, outside of meetings, there are a few different scenarios that inspire more deliberate wardrobe choices when I'm working remotely.

1. Busy days. When I have a particularly busy/high-stress day I wear shoes all day. It makes me feel more deliberate, grounded and keeps me focused. It also makes my little corner desk in my apartment feel like a traditional office.
2. Project management hauls. When I know that I'm going to be sifting through emails, call notes and to-dos to ensure our project management database is up to date, I will dress full-on business professional. I'll even pull the blazers out of hibernation for these days.
3. Fridays. At the end of the week, it's easy to settle into the weekend early, but productive Fridays make for easy Mondays. I like to stick to "casual Fridays". I'll upgrade leggings for jeans or "hard pants" just to stay focused on finishing up the week on a high note for the agency and our clients. Plus shoes, of course.

How I dress has a direct correlation to how I work. Being comfortable is important – but if I need a motivation boost that an extra shot of espresso won't give me, I make very deliberate changes to how I dress in order to ensure my best output.